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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30114252">Ribs</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/scout_eki/pseuds/scout'>scout (scout_eki)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abuse, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Blood and Injury, Bruises, Child Abuse, Clay | Dream &amp; Technoblade Friendship (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream and Toby Smith | Tubbo are Siblings, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Fluff, Found Families, Gen, Graphic Description, Hurt Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mentions of Suicide, Physical Abuse, Sad Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Schlatt is tubbo and dream's dad, Slightly - Freeform, Violence, also probably ooc for him, dream gets adopted into sbi + tubbo, he's not a good guy in this very sorry, techno and dream are best friends in this cause I can do what I want</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 00:54:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,608</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30114252</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/scout_eki/pseuds/scout</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil wasn’t expecting much as he took the long way home after getting out of work. Maybe a couple people walking along the sidewalks, maybe a couple squirrels crossing the road, maybe一if he was lucky一a deer would be on the side of the road, an ounce of beauty in the otherwise dark world.</p><p>He would've never, in a million years, expect to find his eldest son’s closest friend, and the brother of his youngest son’s best friend, standing on an overpass covered in blood and bruises.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream &amp; Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream &amp; Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream &amp; Toby Smith | Tubbo, Clay | Dream &amp; TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream &amp; Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade &amp; TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>968</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ribs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>me when I ignore whatever the hell is going on is dsmp canon (torture?? I haven't watched a lore stream in forever) to write dream angst</p><p>also I wrote this all in one day and finished it at midnight and did not expect at all for it to be as long as it was (I ignored my English assignments for this, hopefully I don't get in too much trouble)</p><p>WARNING // PLEASE do not read if you are triggered by child abuse!! this will continue sort of in depth physical abuse, but it isn't like /super/ in depth. ALSO there is a brief mention of committing suicide, stay safe &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dream stared down at the test in horror, the large, red F in the corner causing his eyes to burn at the edges. He opted to ignore his classmates’ cheering from where they sat next to him, their papers no doubt giving them better results than the dirty blond’s. The daunting voice of his calculus teacher on the first day of school rang in his head, crushing his every hope of somehow pushing this all under the rug.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“If you ever receive a grade lower than a D, I will have no choice but to call your parent or guardian and inform them of the score. No revisions will be allowed, your grade is final no matter what.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It isn’t his fault, really,一</span>
  <em>
    <span>he could barely focus on whatever the answer to question 4 was when his chest stung viciously everytime he so much as breathed, the large bruises he knew was crossing the skin there serving as a painful reminder of what had happened last night</span>
  </em>
  <span>一but there’s no way in <em>Hell</em> his father is going to believe him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dream wouldn’t be able to get a word in before fists were flying. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the day was spent with Dream in another world, his eyes unfocused as his fingers twitched. The hours passed in a blur, completely going against Dream’s every wish to stretch his fate out longer, to allow just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little </span>
  </em>
  <span>bit more time where he can move his body without a bone deep ache shivering through it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the final bell of the day rang, Dream got up as quickly as the rest of the students一who were all eager for the long-awaited weekend一, but his legs felt like they were being weighed down with boulders, his shoulders aching both from the concealed bruises but also from the tension lining the muscles. He quickly made his way to Tubbo’s locker, weaving around people standing in the hallway, where his brother was speaking with Ranboo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the brunette noticed him coming, the smile on his face from talking to Ranboo widened, rivaling the sun as he looked at the older boy. Dream couldn’t help but smile back, only a sliver of a grimace shining through. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He would put up with all the pain in the world if it meant that smile stayed on Tubbo’s face.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Tubs.” The smaller boy said a small “hi!” before stuffing textbooks into his bag, the heterochromia eyed boy waving at the older blond before saying a small “bye” to Tubbo, beginning to walk towards the door where one of his moms, Puffy, was no doubt waiting for him with open arms. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dream ignores the squeeze of jealousy around his heart. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He shook his head slightly, trying to clear the thoughts of a nicer home from his anxious brain. “How would you like to sleep over at Tommy’s tonight, Tubs?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tubbo let out a gasp into his locker, his head quickly moving out before beaming again at Dream. “Can I? Really?” Despite the fact that Dream tells him this every time he knows something will happen at home一</span>
  <em>
    <span>which is far more often than he would like</span>
  </em>
  <span>一, the boy always becomes ecstatic. The older boy nods, a smile一not quite reaching his eyes一growing on his face. “Thank you! Thank you, Dream! Oh, you’re the best!” The boy eagerly latched his arms around Dream, who adamantly ignored the sting of the bruises covering his body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah.” Despite the fond exasperation in his words, Dream wraps his own arms around his brother. The two stay latched to each other for a few seconds before separating, the blond boy fighting the flinch from the sudden dislodging of pressure. “You still have the bag of essentials, right?” At the nod that garnered out of Tubbo, a hand raised and ruffled through brown hair, the owner of the action ignoring the small whine from the other. “Good, have fun tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, a shout of “Tubbo! Oh, and Big D!” sounded throughout the cacophony of students rushing through the halls, the two aforementioned turning towards the person rushing to them. Tommy said hello to both of them before jabbering on about his history class to the brunette. As the attention shifted off of Dream, he found himself starting to grow exceedingly nervous. He knew he needed to head home, but his entire body felt like lead. Nevertheless, he said a swift goodbye before walking out of the school. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No choice but to face the inevitable. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire walk home was一eerily similar to the entire school day一a daze. He couldn’t name the amount of times he almost took a wrong turn, despite the entire route home being muscle memory created after living there for seventeen years. When his house was in sight, he felt himself unintentionally slowing his steps, eager to spend more time outside of the pain-ridden building. Schlatt’s car in the driveway served as an ugly reminder as to what’s to come, phantom pain already appearing in multiple spots across Dream’s body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The porch steps creaked under his weight, his eyes locked on the rickety door in front of him. The doorknob was unlocked一</span>
  <em>
    <span>meaning Schlatt is eagerly awaiting someone</span>
  </em>
  <span>一when Dream turned it, the scarred wood screeching as it turns. The scent of alcohol slammed into the blond’s face as soon as he stepped foot inside the house一</span>
  <em>
    <span>no matter how many times he’s smelt the putrid scent, he’ll never get used to it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dream. Come here.” The words ricocheted through the house like a bullet, Dream flinching as if he was already hit. Nevertheless, he一as quietly as he could一closed the door behind him. He had enough time to place his backpack at the bottom of the stairs before an impatient tapping sounded from the kitchen, nails against wood never sounding worse. As Dream turned the corner into the kitchen, the short hallway going by too quickly, he was met with a furious expression he was much too used to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked closer to his father, stopping a couple feet in front of him, his gaze down as his hands clasped behind his back. He tried to cover his flinch as Schlatt stood up, but judging by the sick snear he could see out of the top of his vision, the man noticed. A clink sounded as a beer bottle was slammed onto the table, wobbling dangerously on the rim for a moment before setting itself straight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see you didn’t bring the little shit home with you, means you knew this was comin’.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dream tried一</span>
  <em>
    <span>he did, truly</span>
  </em>
  <span>一to stop his mouth from opening, to stop his unwanted voice from filtering through the cloud of alcohol, but it was fruitless. “Don’t talk about Tubbo that way.” Dream knew it was bait, he wasn’t stupid, but everytime the older man brought up his brother, Dream could never hold himself back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Schlatt laughs, a sadistic sound that sends shivers down his spine, before he delivers a swift punch to Dream’s stomach. The blond barely had time to react before pain was blooming from the place of impact, his tension-locked limbs stopping himself from crumpling over. He let an almost inaudible grunt leave his mouth, his eyes closing slightly before opening again, lightly glazed over in pain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did I tell you to talk, boy?” Dream shook his head in response, his breathing slightly ragged at the pain in his abdomen. A grunt sounded from the older man, before he grabbed Dream’s chin in a dirty hand, lifting his face until emerald eyes were forced to meet blazing brown. “Apologize.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, sir.” The answer was immediate, Dream stopped fighting his pride一</span>
  <em>
    <span>because he </span>
  </em>
  <span>knows </span>
  <em>
    <span>he shouldn’t be the one apologizing for something as small as talking</span>
  </em>
  <span>一long ago, when his wiry body was barely strong enough to take one punch, much less a whole beating. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. Now,” Schlatt let go of Dream’s chin, which ached as red marks appeared, fresh bruises waiting to bloom, “want to tell me why I got a call from your school, </span>
  <em>
    <span>at nine in the mornin’, </span>
  </em>
  <span>while I was off </span>
  <em>
    <span>workin’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>to put food in your ungrateful little mouth, telling me that you </span>
  <em>
    <span>failed </span>
  </em>
  <span>a math test?” Dream stubbornly kept his mouth shut, knowing no answer would satisfy the man. A cruel laugh echoed through the air, coming closer as Schlatt stood right in front of his son, spit flying from his mouth as spoke. “You are a selfish little </span>
  <em>
    <span>brat</span>
  </em>
  <span> who needs to learn some proper manners.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, Dream’s body erupted into pain. He could hardly keep track of where the large fists hit, his entire body was on fire. Punches were meticulously rained onto specific patches of skin already painted black and blue, the majority hidden by his clothes. At one point, a punch was delivered mercilessly onto his right cheek, his body dropping at the force. He curled into the fetal position on the floor, desperately trying to shield </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>part of himself from the pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only thing this position provided was a new angle for hits to rain down, this time in the form of both punches </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>kicks from steel-toed boots. Dream could feel blood rise to the surface every time the hard shoes landed on his skin, dripping down his body until it fell onto grimy floorboards, which were sticking dirt into Dream’s already bruised cheek. Every blow delivered onto already bruised ribs sent stabbing pain racking through his body, every labored breath sending shockwaves throughout the skeleton.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everytime he thought it was over, everytime the pain momentarily vanished, the fantasy was ruined by sadistic laughter, the following hits somehow landing harder than the last. He doesn’t know how long this lasted for, he lost track when the counting in his head was disrupted by a particularly hard kick to the back of his head, where he could feel blood start to pool. Eventually, however, the punches and kicks stopped altogether, a dull pain still still spreading through his body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get up.” Schlatt’s voice was void of any emotion, as if he didn’t just watch his son get beat一</span>
  <em>
    <span>by his own hands, nonetheless. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Desperate to avoid any further pain一though he doubts he would be able to feel it by now一Dream follows the orders. His movements were sluggish and slow, his limbs simultaneously feeling like jelly and feeling like they weren’t even connected to his body anymore. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he eventually got to his feet, his breathing labored and his back hunched as he tried to stand up straight despite the pain wracking his frame, his father looked furious. Before he could make another move, however, he was slammed against the wall. A nearby clocked rattled in its place一</span>
  <em>
    <span>no family photos present in the entire house to do the same</span>
  </em>
  <span>一but luckily didn’t fall. Dream wheezed in pain, the open wounds on his back sticking to his shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hand was brought up to his neck before it </span>
  <em>
    <span>squeezed, </span>
  </em>
  <span>stealing any breath he was lucky to have. His mouth opened一</span>
  <em>
    <span>whether in a silent scream or a desperate attempt to suck </span>
  </em>
  <span>any </span>
  <em>
    <span>air into his lungs, he didn’t know</span>
  </em>
  <span>一and a hand raised to meet the wrist of the one holding his neck, his grip weak as he attempts to force it off his windpipe. Dream lost track of time, </span>
  <em>
    <span>again, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but every time he could see black pooling at the edges of his vision, the hand would let go, hacking breaths following before the hand was placed back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Schlatt let go for good, Dream’s body slumping as he struggled to stand, his own hands coming up to claw at his throat, as if it would do any good to force air into his desperate lungs. The man in front of him watched with a satisfied smile on his face, his hands being wiped against his pristine white shirt, the blood一</span>
  <em>
    <span>never his own, no</span>
  </em>
  <span>一staining the material red. Before Dream could attempt to stutter out anything past his abused throat一</span>
  <em>
    <span>though, he’s sure nothing would come out</span>
  </em>
  <span>一his father spoke. “Let that be a lesson for next time you decide to </span>
  <em>
    <span>slack off</span>
  </em>
  <span> in school. Now, get out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, Dream’s brain was moving at a snail’s pace, and he didn’t register the words until a furious expression was beginning to bloom on Schlatt’s face. Once he finally understood what the man wanted from him, he stumbled the best he could to the door, bumping into multiple walls on his way. He could barely get the door open with his weak and shaky hands, but when he did, the cold air from the night sky slapped him in the face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stood in the doorway for a split second, debating if he should grab his backpack that has a jacket in it, before Schlatt decided for him in the form of loud footsteps coming his way. He was halfway out the door when the sound of glass shattering was heard, his body not registering the pain blooming from his back until he could feel new streams of blood mix with the old. He gasped in pain before finally exiting the house, the sound of the door slamming shut behind him comforting him more than he’d like to admit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, that comfort soon left as he registered his situation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He didn’t have anywhere to go. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Schlatt’s never kicked him out before, he usually allows Dream to crawl up to his bedroom where he stays for the rest of the night, not wanting to see the older man for a long while. He gazed up at the stars as shivers racked his frame, his green hoodie not doing much against the nightly wind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How dare those dots shine so bright when his entire world is crumbling further.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He slowly made his way down the driveway, his eyes unfocused as his feet lead him wherever they wanted. He doesn’t register his surroundings until he finds himself on a bridge overlooking the freeway. The lights were so bright, and he was tugged in like a moth to a flame as he stumbled closer to the edge, his shaky hands coming up to grip the barriers. He was mesmerized by the lights speeding by, the occupants of the cars entirely unaware of the bruised boy watching them as if they were the answer to all his problems. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How easy would it be for him to just jump the railing? To feel the lights on his skin? He’s tall, he could likely do it in one moveme-</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dream?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His brain took a couple moments to register his name being called, his hands releasing from their death grip on the barrier as he turned to where the noise came from. Silhouetted by a nearby street lamp was Phil, who was standing there with pain twisted into his expression. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, did one of his sons get hurt? Was it Techno? It better not’ve been Techno. Wait- is he here to finish me off? He must be.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing out here? Where did you get those bruises from? Why aren’t you at home? Should I call Schlatt?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The amount of questions were starting to hurt Dream’s head, one of his bloody hands coming up to rub at his temples, leaving crimson fingerprints in their wake. Pain bloomed from the new source of pressure, but it was nothing compared to the inferno on his back. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, his vision grew blurry, his body growing numb as he dropped, closer and closer to the concrete- before it all went black.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phil wasn’t expecting much as he took the long way home after getting out of work. Maybe a couple people walking along the sidewalks, maybe a couple squirrels crossing the road, maybe一if he was lucky一 a deer would be on the side of the road, an ounce of beauty in the otherwise dark world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would've never, </span>
  <em>
    <span>in a million years, </span>
  </em>
  <span>expect to find his eldest son’s closest friend, and the brother of his youngest son’s best friend, standing on an overpass covered in blood and bruises. He especially wasn’t expecting for the boy to suddenly </span>
  <em>
    <span>faint </span>
  </em>
  <span>as soon as Phil showed up- </span>
  <em>
    <span>at least he didn't lose consciousness while alone, that would be a sure death sentence. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Phil barely thought before he was rushing forward, managing to catch the teen by the shoulders before his head could hit the solid concrete. He manhandled the tall boy until he was somewhat supported by Phil一</span>
  <span>
    <em>who vehemently ignored the blood covering his fingers as he touched the sweatshirt covering Dream’s back. </em>
  </span>
  <span>Through awkwardly shuffled steps, he managed to drag the boy to his nearby car, quickly strapping him into the passenger seat before situating himself back behind the wheel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as heat was filtering through the vents of the car, Phil took a moment to survey the boy next to him. He looked so small on the seat, despite his gangly limbs awkwardly strewn in the small space. There was a large discoloration on his face, and blood was seeping through the sleeves of his hoodie, some flooding out from his hands, which had long scrapes on the back of the appendages. The most concerning detail一</span>
  <em>
    <span>and it was hard to pick a worst one, since his entire body seemed to be </span>
  </em>
  <span>covered </span>
  <em>
    <span>in black, blue, and red</span>
  </em>
  <span>一was the visible hand print wrapped around his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phil’s hands gripped the steering wheel as he drove一much faster than the speed limit, not that he cares一back to his house, fear for Dream and anger at whoever did this to him fueling the older blond’s movements. He would’ve driven Dream straight to the hospital if he thought he had nearly enough money to support the boy一however, mentally looking at how much money he’s spent on his three </span>
  <em>
    <span>(technically four, since Tubbo spends the majority of his time at Phil’s house) </span>
  </em>
  <span>sons, he estimates he has roughly a thousand dollars in his bank account, which is not nearly enough for any sort of medical bill he would receive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire drive home felt longer than it ever has before, and by the time he pulled into his driveway, he felt as though he could finally breathe. He spared a quick glance at the clock, cheering slightly when it read ten o’clock一</span>
  <em>
    <span>hopefully the boys would be asleep by now, it would make the entire process easier. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The cheering didn’t last long, however, as a groan sounded from the body in the passenger seat. Phil cursed quietly before clicking both his and Dream’s seatbelts, the belts snapping back into place with ease一which usually doesn’t happen from the many children who have sat in the seat, tugging until the belt becomes lodged every time it’s used. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phil’s footsteps were heavy as he made his way out his door and over to Dream’s, yanking the handle open before lightly grabbing Dream, making his way to the door as quickly as he could without jostling the wounded body in his arms. Sticking his key into the door was a struggle as both of his hands were preoccupied with supporting the teenager, but he eventually managed to wrench it open, the wood moving with ease. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as he closed the door behind him, he instantly froze. He could hear the sound of the television in the other room playing some late night game show, meaning that at least one of his children was awake, meaning this entire process just got ten times harder. He stood stock still for a moment as he tried to think of where to bring the boy in his arms, before a monotone voice sounded across the house. “Phil? Are you home?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The aforementioned flinched at the voice, but before he could dwell on what to answer, the owner of the voice appeared in the doorway. The usually blank face was suddenly contorted in confusion, and Phil realized that Techno couldn’t see exactly </span>
  <em>
    <span>who </span>
  </em>
  <span>was in the older’s arms, due to the lack of light in the doorway一</span>
  <em>
    <span>he can’t help but thank anybody who’s listening that the boy couldn’t see it was </span>
  </em>
  <span>Dream </span>
  <em>
    <span>in Phil’s arms, for the man can only handle one distressed child at a time. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Techno, I’m home.” His words were strained, both from the rollercoaster of emotions he went through in the past hour and from the struggle of holding a limp teenager. “Now, go back to whatever you’re watching; or, better yet, go to sleep, it’s late. I have to deal with something, but then I swear I will make sure the doors are all locked before going to sleep myself, you have nothing to worry about.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words didn’t seem to placate the pinkette, who slowly reached out to the wall, and一before Phil could even think of stopping him一flicked on the light overhead the two of them. He winced at both the artificial glow and the horrified expression that grew on his son’s face, his ruby eyes wide and his eyebrows furrowed as if he couldn’t properly define what he was seeing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phil didn’t have any time to think about the boy in front of him as the body in his arms groaned again, the sound causing Phil to remember what was happening and Techno to rake his eyes across the mangled figure. The older man quickly pushed past Techno, placing the young blond onto the couch cushions before commanding his eldest son to retrieve the medical supplies, who followed the directions without complaint. In the meantime, Phil removed the blood-stained hoodie from the boy’s shivering frame, before examining the new planes of skin exposed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he thought the skin of his face looked bad, it was nothing in comparison to the litter of blue across the boy’s chest and stomach. When he rolled the boy onto his side, he almost threw up at the view of a bloodied back, covered in shallow wounds with small pieces of glass sticking out of the flesh. There was a stream of dried blood from a wound concealed by dirty blond hair, running down the boy’s spine before getting lost in the mix of blood pooling from the numerous injuries covering the skin of his back. The boy’s ribs seemed awkwardly placed- fuck, those are definitely broken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time Techno got back with the medical supplies, his entire mind was focused on the boy covered in blood, rather than the pinkette who had tears一</span>
  <em>
    <span>which hadn’t been seen in years</span>
  </em>
  <span>一pooling in ruby eyes. Phil couldn’t stop the boy as he sat heavily next to the couch, grabbing onto a bloody hand with a kindness rarely seen, his other hand switching between smoothing out red-stained hair and wiping his own tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time bandages were covering the lanky body, it was well past eleven, and both Phil and Techno were exhausted. Phil held his breath as he felt the pulse of the younger blond, a sigh of relief leaving his lips as he found a small, yet present one. Techno was nearly falling asleep where he sat, no doubt only kept awake out of worry for Dream, and his hand一which had only disconnected from Dream’s when Phil forced him to, resulting in the older almost getting stabbed if he didn’t point out the blood painting the skin一had grown limp in the dirty blond’s grasp. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Phil had carried Dream up to Techno’s room, with the aforementioned boy following close behind, and after securing the house as he promised Techno, he fell into his bed. He let out a deep sigh, his hands coming up to hopefully wipe away some of the stress lining his face, but to no avail. Worries bounced around in his head, his stressed mind not able to supply any answers.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Where did those injuries come from? Why was Dream out in the middle of the night? Why did some of the bruises not look new? How long had he had broken ribs for?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>One thought however stood out from the rest: </span>
  <em>
    <span>what the hell happened?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Dream woke in the morning, the first thing he registered was pain. His muscles were sore, his entire body seemed cramped, the back of his head ached, and his chest </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>hurts every time he breathes. The next thing he registered, was that somehow his entire body was covered in bandages. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Who the hell did that? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Then, he noticed the unfamiliar sheets under his bruised body and the presence of another person next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell is going on?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As his brain became more aware of his surroundings, he noticed fuschia hair and pale skin occupying the body- </span>
  <em>
    <span>how did he get to Techno’s house?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Before he could dwell on the subject much longer, the aforementioned boy began to stir, his body shifting before tired ruby eyes met his own confused emerald. The two stared for a moment before Techno seemed to actually wake up, his eyes growing wide as he stared at Dream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dream, you’re awake!” The amount of emotion lacing the boy’s words confused Dream, </span>
  <em>
    <span>why wouldn’t he be awake? </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I- I thought you were dead.” The boy seemed to become choked up at his own words, but Dream was still </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Techno, what happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pinkette looked at Dream with concern before speaking again, his voice quiet against the morning air. “You- Phil told me he found you standing on the overpass, watching the cars go by. You-” tears started to gather in ruby eyes as the boy choked on his words, his gaze unwavering from Dream’s. “You were covered in bruises and blood, and there’s this huge handprint on your neck, and- what happened, Dream?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, the entire night came back to Dream. The failed test, the alcohol, the yelling, the hitting, the kicking, the running, the lights, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>pain. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He felt his own eyes well up unintentionally, pain一though, considerably lessened from last night一still covering his body in a harsh blanket. He couldn’t help the sob that bubbled up in his throat, his mouth unconsciously releasing it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pinkette softly pulled Dream closer, the sheets rubbing against bandages as the boy moved, before the blond was tucked under the slightly-taller’s chin. The two layed there for who-knows-how-long, silent tears dampening dirty blond hair as heart wrenching sobs filled the air. As the noises died down, the smaller body fell limp with exhaustion, supported entirely by the pinkette. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before either boy could say anything, someone knocked on the door before it opened, revealing Phil. The man looked tired and stressed, but a small smile grew on his face as he assessed the situation, before it fell once again as it landed on the numerous bandages wrapped around Dream. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, boys. Tommy, Wilbur, and Tubbo,” Dream winced slightly at the mention of his brother, “are waiting downstairs. They know you’re here, Dream, but they don’t know that anything happened. I told them to be quiet, but you know how long that lasts in this home.” Small smiles were brought to the two teenagers’ faces, looking so out of place on Dream, who was twisted in an array of bloodied bandages slightly hidden under clothes lended from Techno. “We need to talk about what happened, even if nobody wants to, and it would be better to do it sooner rather than later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, the older blond left, leaving the two on the bed with a looming sense of grief falling over the scene. They basked in each other’s presence for a few more minutes, no words being spoken to break the spell, before they decided to face the music. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dream struggled down the stairs more than he’d like to admit, but luckily Techno was kind enough to assist him without teasing一something Dream would not feel up to with the past events weighing on his shoulders. When the two eventually entered the living room, where Wilbur and Tommy seemed to be having some sort of staring contest with Tubbo cheering in the background, Dream felt envy at their childish movements. All noise stopped, however, as a heavily bandaged blond and a pinkette with dried tear tracks entered the scene. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The five stood in silence for a moment, the three on the couch trying to process the scene before them, before Phil walked into the room, disrupting the confusion. Dream barely had enough time to blink before his brother was sprinting across the room, stopping just short of running into Dream. His large, brown eyes scanned the various hidden injuries on the blond’s limbs, before making eye contact with his brother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pain and confusion swirling in the irises almost caused Dream to cry again一</span>
  <em>
    <span>and isn’t that funny? that no amount of physical pain can bring tears to emerald eyes, but the slightest amount of pain in both brown and ruby eyes causes him to sob like a baby?</span>
  </em>
  <span>一, but instead, he hesitantly stuck his arms out towards the smaller boy, a silent question in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tubbo wasted no time in latching onto Dream一only loosening his grip when the boy flinched一taking comfort in the larger arms making their way across his back, his walnut-colored eyes brimming with unshed tears. Dream could tell the younger had multiple questions he wanted to ask, but it seemed as though everybody in the room wanted to know what happened, so he decided to kill five birds with one stone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He awkwardly shuffled over to the nearby couch, sitting down the best he could with a small brunette clinging to his side and a pinkette attached to his free hand. He couldn’t make eye contact with Phil from where he sat on his couch, Wilbur and Tommy sitting next to him, their expressions as eager as everybody else’s. He kept his gaze on the coffee table as he started to speak, his voice scratchy with disuse and previous tears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I failed my math test, and my father wasn’t happy about it, so he, uh, did this.” He gestured lazily to himself, the hand一which he had freed from Techno’s grasp to complete the action一immediately latching back onto the pinkette, receiving a comforting squeeze. He could hear a couple of gasps around him, probably at the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>father, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but he could hardly focus on those. Dream felt oddly disconnected from his own body as he told the story, his voice devoid of any emotion- </span>
  <em>
    <span>he’s not becoming his father, stop thinking that way.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t the first time this happened, and the only reason I failed that test was because I could barely breathe from the last ‘punishment’ from Schlatt. Everytime I know what’s coming after school, I send Tubbo here. Sorry, for, uh, just kinda sending him here without asking, but I figured, hey, what’s one more kid.” The joke fell flat, not a single smile breaking through the mirrored expressions of horror surrounding the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dream… how long has this been going on?” Phil’s words were choked, as if he was holding back tears一which the four younger boys around Dream seemed to have no qualms about doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t remember the first time anymore, they all kinda blur together, but I think I was eleven? I think- wait, no, I was ten and I accidentally broke a plate. Tubbo was out of the house at the time, and it was only one slap, but it only escalated after that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dream, you’re never going back there if I have anything to say about it.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>What?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Phil’s words were final, as if Dream would complain about living with his best friend and his brothers. A flicker of emotion finally crossed the dirty blond’s face, confusion with a small dash of hope mixed in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and Tubbo are never going to have to see that sorry excuse for a father any more, I cannot in good consciousness allow you to go back to that house, no matter what Schla- he says. You can stay here until you’re 18一even longer if you’d like一and experience a small semblance of the childhood you were robbed of. Neither of you deserve the cards you’ve been dealt- especially you, Dream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Dream </span>
  <em>
    <span>broke. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Loud, echoing sobs broke the air, not being muffled in the slightest by the brown hair a freckled face was stuffed into. Dream felt his hand being squeezed by Techno and he weekly returned the gesture, Tubbo’s tears never ceasing throughout the entire conversation, dampening Dream’s borrowed shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind was hazy with hope, and when he eventually took his head out of his brother’s hair, he sent a smile一which he hoped didn’t look like a grimace一to Phil, who smiled back through his own tears. As everybody seemed to calm down from their tears, Tommy spoke, his tone not nearly as obnoxious as it usually is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Big D, since you are now my brother, I expect daily payment in the form of a portion of your deserts, since being around someone as pogchamp as me does </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>come for free.” As the room erupted into laughter, the smile on Dream’s face grew larger. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He could get used to this.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope everyone enjoyed that :]</p><p>also i have twitter now! my username is scout_eki</p></blockquote></div></div>
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